Improvement in toys



T. A. CURTIS.

TQYS.

Patenged Nov. 28,1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

TriEoDoEE A. ounTis, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 845847, datedNovember 28, 1876; application filed September 18,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE A. CURTIS, of Springfield, in the State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boxes for'Merchandise; and that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

My invention relates to a box for containing dry merchandise of anykind, its object being to assist in the removal or placement of atight-fitting cover, and to use the box as .a toy, after the merchandiseis removed therefrom; and it consists of a cylindrical-shaped box, openat the top, and having a series of elongated narrow apertures madevertically in the upper part, combined with a cover to close the openend of the box, and also combined with a plug having a hole therein,secured in the center of the bottom of the box, so that a wire or pivotbeing inserted into said plug from below, the box, with strips, havingpictures or figures printed thereon placed inside, may be rotated uponthe pivot to furnish amusement, as will be more fully hereinafterdescribed.

Figure I is avertical central section of my invention, with the coveron, and arranged for use to contain merchandise, and Fig. IT is acentral vertical section of the same, showing the wire or pivot insertedin the plug, the cover removed from the box, and the latter arranged tobe rotated and used as a toy.

In the drawings, A represents a cylindrical box, provided with thenarrow vertical apertures b 1) near the top, and at suitable dis tancesapart, and with the plug D, secured to the center of the bottom inside,with a cylindrical hole made in the bottom of the box, and extending upinto the plug nearly to the top, as shown atf. A small wire, 0, is madeof the proper size to be inserted into the holef of the plug D, and forconvenience in handling, and preventing the wire from getting lost, Isecure it in a conical piece, 0, and attach the piece to the inside ofthe cover B at its center, both the piece 0 and the plug D being bestsecured in place by glue, or other similar adhesive substance.

This box, of the form herein shown, is quite suitable to contain collarsand similar goods,

and when the collars are rolled together and tated sufficiently'fast togive the pictures the appearance of moving, and to do this successfullythe series of pictures should be printed in successive stages of themovement it is desired to represent. For example, to represent thefigure of a man walking, the first picture on the strip might show theman with the right foot 011 the ground, the next with the same foot alittle advanced, and so on until the middle picture showed the steptaken with the right foot. The next picture would show the left footlifted, and so on, until the last would show the step taken with theleft foot. As these pictures have heretofore been made, they need noparticular description.

Some prefer that the apertures shall be exposed below the cover toattract attention, when the boxes are placed on the shelf, and therebyserve as an advertisement. Others prefer that the apertures be made alittle higher, or the rim of the cover shut down a little lower, andcompletely close the apertures, and more perfectly preserve the goodsinside from injury from the dust which might otherwise get in.

In either case, however, the apertures are a manifest advantage, as inmany cases the boxes being made air-tight, and the cover being made tofit the box tightly, it is oftentimes difficult to put on the cover, andbeing once on itis equally difficult to remove it, owing to the air notbeing able to pass out or in snfficiently fast between the cover and thebox.

This arrangement of the apertures entirely obviates this difficulty, asthe air is perfectly free to pass out or in through the apertures, andthe cover is put on the box or is removed with great ease, and veryquickly.

I am aware that a cylinder provided with and perforated plug D, arrangedto be rotated. slots has heretofore been arranged to be turned uponpivot e, in combination with cover B, to upon a pivot to exhibitpictures placed thereform a combined toy and box, substantially in, andI do not claim the same, nor any part as and for the purpose described.

thereof; but THEODORE A. CURTIS.

Having described my invention, what I Witnesses: claim as new isr J AMESABBE,

The cylinder A, provided with apertures I), G. H. BLANDEN.

